`Children of illegally wedded wife entitled to pension`

New Delhi: Children born to illegally wedded wife of a central government employee are entitled to get family pension, according to a new order.

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, in an order issued earlier this week, decided that pensionary benefits will be granted to children of a government servant or pensioner from "void or voidable" marriages.

Earlier, children born out of such a wedlock of a government servant had no claim on family pension and the legally wedded wife was the sole recipient of the post-retirement benefit.

However, the matter was re-examined in consultation with the Ministry of Law and Justice and Ministry of Finance and it was decided to amend the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972.

The share of children from illegally wedded wife in the family pension shall be payable to them along with the legally wedded wife, an official memorandum issued by the Ministry of Personnel to all central government departments on November 27, said.

"It has also been decided that in past cases, no recovery from the previous beneficiary should be made," the order said.

The Centre has left it to the authorities concerned in the respective departments to decide on the percentage of the pension to such children.

"On receipt of an application from an eligible child or children of the deceased government employee or pensioner born to an ineligible mother, a decision regarding division or otherwise of family pension may be taken by the competent authority after satisfying himself or herself about veracity of facts and entitlement of the applicant(s)," it said.